Arts & Culture

This week on MinneCulture, live from Minnesota visits the Black Dog Coffee & Wine Bar in Lowertown St. Paul for When Poets Found Bass, a night of spoken word poetry presented by the Saint Paul Almanac. Featuring Saymoukda D. Vongsay, Fres Thao, Desdamona, Truthmaze and DJ Kool Akiem. Produced for KFAI by Daniel Zamzow. MinneCulture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Last night on KFAI’s Radio Pocho, Miguel Vargas talked with the star of a film that will be shown tonight in Minneapolis as part of the 4th annual Cuban Film Festival. Victor Alvarez is a musician based now in Santa Fe – back in the 1960’s he was one of the children from the so-called “Operation Peter Pan”, a CIA project that removed over 14 thousand children from Cuba and re-settled them in Miami away from their families and friends. Victor Alvarez returned to Cuba for the first time in 43 years with a film crew trailing him. He told Miguel about the experience of going back and performs his rendition of “La Negra Tomasa” …

This Wednesday 8-10pm, Radio Pocho has planned a very special Valentine’s Day program for all you vatos and cholas. The day of love is approaching Thursday, so join Miguel Vargas, Rambo Salinas, and DJ Espada, as we we will be giving you 120 minutes of lowrider anthems, sweet soul rolas, and boleros.

Last Sunday night, the Okee Dokee Brothers won a Grammy for Best Children’s Album for their 2012 release, “Can You Canoe?” Inspired by nature, the local duo entertains children and adults with messages about environmental stewardship. In tonight’s encore presentation, MinneCulture presents ““Rediscovering the Mississippi River”“:http://www.ampers.org/pieces/rediscovering-mississippi-river—an audio documentary by Flor and Peter Frey that features music by the Okee Dokee Brothers. Learn about the Mighty Miss—dubbed “messippi” by the Ojibwe Indians—which begins at Itasca State Park in Northern Minnesota and flows into the Gulf of Mexico from Louisiana. Covering more than 2,000 miles in 31 states, the Mississippi River has been the creative inspiration for American legends, folklore, and literature, including the Okee Dokee Brothers. For more information, go to okeedokee.org.

Orkestar Bez Ime is Bulgarian for “orchestra without a name.” The local group formed in 2002 to bring Balkan dance music to the Upper Midwest. It performs across the country with a repertoire that reaches from Albania to the Ukraine, with plenty of stops in-between. Tonight on MinneCulture, producer Daniel Zamzow captures their recent performance at Acadia Cafe. For more information on Orkestar Bez Ime, visit rogaria.com.

Grant Cutler is a songwriter, producer and composer. His ethereal electronic music has garnered national acclaim, and this year he received a commission from the Minnesota State Arts Board for a three-­part composition. Here is Grant Cutler, performing at the Cedar Cultural Center in January 2012. Produced for KFAI by Tom Garneau. MinneCulture is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

This week on MinneCulture: “The Walk to School,” an audio documentary about a Minneapolis family’s decision to attend public school outside its immediate residential zone. Producer Ralph L. Crowder III explores education and school choice through the lens of Monique, a single parent raising her daughter Amaree, and her niece Leslie. “The Walk to School” is a day-in-the-life account of how the family copes with the public education achievement gap, and what it’s doing to create better opportunities for the next generation. Ralph Crowder is an independent producer from Minneapolis who specializes in local and national education issues. MinneCulture airs every Monday and Wednesday evening from 7:30-8pm on KFAI, and is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Hennepin Avenue predates the city of Minneapolis, and was originally used by Dakota Indians as a footpath between St Anthony Falls and Lake Calhoun. This main artery has grown and evolved over time, and been home to diverse communities and businesses. From immigrant laborers to performance artists, Hennepin Avenue has gone through a number of incarnations. The former Minneapolis red-light district is today a destination for theater and dance. This Wednesday, November 7, on MinneCulture, producer Sarah Boden explores the avenue’s colorful history, highlighting architectural and cultural landmarks along the way. MinneCulture is part of KFAI’s Legacy project, and is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Forty-four men have served as President of the United States, though none hail from Minnesota. In this MinneCulture documentary, KFAI legacy producer Ahndi Fridell profiles six local politicians who left a mark on national history in their run for the White House: Ignatius Donnelly, Floyd Olson, Harold Stassen, Hubert Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy and Walter Mondale.

The Return of the Kings – The Lightning-Fast Roma (Gypsy) Brass Romania’s Fanfare Ciocărlia Comes Back to North America. For the first time, this legendary band is coming to the Twin Cities. The concert is Wednesday, Sept. 26th, at The Cedar Cultural Center…